Latest News November 6, 2002
November 6, 2002: The elections on November 5 supported the downtown revitalization project with a strong turnout and high percentage of votes for our candidates. Joe Affronti was re-elected and “civic activist” Ken Halloway won election to public office with a classic “grass roots” campaign. The other new member, outstanding citizen and Chamber of Commerce leader Linda Shattles, will have a learning curve on the past decisions and current progress the city has made towards revitalizing the downtown area. Although the key issue for this election concerned revitalization, the candidates’ stance on “garbage,” or “waste management price and policy,” was a factor.
The City Manager, Kim Leinbach, has hired Matt Shannon as the city’s new, professional CRA Director. He has excellent credentials with a Wharton M.B.A. and experience with large commercial firms, new urbanist designers, and the City of Glendale. He knows what CRAs are all about. Matt started work on November 1 and will guide the entire process. He will report to Mr. Leinbach.
Matt will negotiate land assemblage with 11 different owners for the properties in the CRA domain, including the largest parcel, the former Publix/Eckerd Terrace Plaza. Matt and the CRA will review the RFP written by Kim Leinbach with input from STAR for a designer/planner to conduct charrettes (or charettes) and form focus groups of citizens. We are anxious to begin the formal design and planning process. Then we would like to see “free market” proposals from qualified developers and builders before making a decision to “green light” the construction. The project may develop in phases. In today’s St. Petersburg Times report on the election, the article concludes, “Temple Terrace has 22,000 residents and no downtown.” Change is in the air.
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